Monday, April 15, 2013

Conceptinetics DMX Library for Arduino

Past time I have been spending on developing a DMX Library for Arduino which is easy to use and understand. It is a UART (Serial) based library that can be used similarly as most other components on the Arduino platform.

There is also a wiki available at the same link which will show you the basics of how to use it and else you can simply open one of the examples shipped with the library.

Currently I am also busy with implementing RDM (Remote Device Management) capabilities which will I will make available for download soon.
The first version will only support the minimum functionality as required for DMX devices according to the RDM specification. After releasing that I will plan which features will be added first and after that. If you prefer certain features above others you can let me know and I will take that advice into consideration.

Like others, I got a compiler error when trying to use the Hardware Serial library with the Sourceforge DMX library. Since my project involved controlling outdoor stage lights in a Christmas light show, this was a major issue. I did find a workaround that has; thus far, worked out quite well. I found that passing the light commands through the I2C hardware o the board controlling the DMX hardware has worked quite well without any conflicts. See the Wire Library in the Arduino Reference (https://www.arduino.cc/en/Reference/Wire ) for more information. I hope others find this information useful.